Attachable vehicle warning light

ABSTRACT

A vehicle warning lamp is provided for removable attachment to a vehicle through use of a standard trailer hitch coupling. The warning lamp is mounted at the distal end of a vertical post which telescopes between an extended position wherein the lamp is elevated, to provide enhanced visibility in all directions, and a lowered or storage position. The lowered position enables the lamp to remain on the vehicle in the lowered position so that the vehicle can be moved into areas of restricted height, such as a parking garage, and under other obstructions which the lamp might otherwise come into contact with when extended to its uppermost position. 
     The base of the vertical post is equipped with a hook or retainer which is engageable by a chain, cable or other such force-exerting device so that an extricating force can be applied to the vehicle through the auxiliary lamp in the event it becomes necessary to assist the attached vehicle in being extricated from such things as mud, sand or snowbanks.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates in general to vehicle warning lamps and, moreparticularly, to a selectively attachable and vertically adjustablewarning lamp for indicating the presence of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART

The use of auxiliary lighting devices positioned at the top of avertical support for increased vehicle visibility is known, and suchfixed length devices which extend above the vehicle are disclosed inS.E. McClintock, U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,359, “STOP AND TURN INDICATOR FORAN AUTOMOBILE”, and K. Brungardt et al, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 395,275,“HITCH MOUNTABLE BICYCLE CARRIER WITH TAIL LIGHTS”, discloses anauxiliary lamp mounted on a bracket supported by a fixed length verticalsupport hitch.

Such prior art patents utilize a vertical post of a fixed length toelevate auxiliary lamps to a position for increased visibility of thelamp, and thereby, the vehicle. In the McClintock patent, a pair oftubular members are secured to the rear bumper of an automobile by meansof a pair of bumper mounts. Lamps are mounted at the top of the tubularmembers, and are thereby held in a fixed position for enhanced vehiclevisibility. In the Brungardt patent, a bicycle carrier is shown having apair of tail lights mounted from a vertical post of a fixed length whichis supported from a vehicle through a hitch.

While these prior art devices provide desired features, the presentinvention is directed to overcome one or more of the problems associatedwith the prior art.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle warning lamp isprovided for removable attachment to a vehicle through use of a standardtrailer hitch coupling. The warning lamp is mounted at the distal end ofa vertical post which telescopes between an extended position whereinthe lamp is elevated, to provide enhanced visibility in all directions,and a lowered or storage position. The lowered position enables the lampto remain on the vehicle in the lowered position so that the vehicle canbe moved into areas of restricted height, such as a parking garage, andunder other obstructions which the lamp might otherwise come intocontact with when extended to its uppermost position.

The base of the vertical post is equipped with a hook or retainer whichis engageable by a chain, cable or other such force-exerting device sothat an extricating force can be applied to the vehicle through theauxiliary lamp in the event it becomes necessary to assist the attachedvehicle in being extricated from such things as mud, sand or snowbanks.

For convenience of illustration, the invention is described in apreferred embodiment with reference to its use on a snow plow, althoughthe scope of the invention is not to be so limited. During snow plowingoperations, when surfaces are plowed to remove snow the plowed snow ispiled, and such piles increase in height which often extend above thevertical height of the vehicle lamps which are carried within thestructure of the vehicle body.

When snow plowing operations are done, for example, on a drivewayleading to a street or roadway, the plow moves back and forth along thedriveway. Because a plowing vehicle usually begins its first drivewayplowing operation from the street or roadway, after the initial plowingpass the vehicle moves in reverse along the path which it has cleared tobegin another plowing operation. During such reverse movement, theplowing vehicle may enter upon or cross the street or roadway. When thesnow extends to a height above the vehicle head lamps and tail lamps,the movement of the plowing vehicle may not be visible to vehiclesmoving on the street or roadway creating a hazardous situation,particularly when the plowing vehicle is moving in reverse with theheadlights pointing inwardly away from the roadway. Accordingly,positioning a flashing elevated warning light at the rear of the plowingvehicle will enhance the visibility of the vehicle and promote saferoperation.

The present invention is removably attachable to a plowing vehicle bybeing connected with a standard trailer hitch to provide a warning lamppositioned above the vehicle which is visible in all directions. In thismanner, as the plow moves back and forth along a driveway, and near thestreet or roadway, a flashing light above the vehicle will provide anenhanced warning and better visibility of the plow at work. The hook atthe connecting portion of the warning lamp provides a readily accessiblepoint by which an extricating force can be applied to the plow to assistin removing the plow from any drifts or other circumstances under whichit may have become stuck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention with the warning lampillustrated in a lowered position by telescoping an upper portion of thevertical post down over a lower portion.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the uppermost portion of the vertical postwith the warning lamp removed therefrom to better illustrate the mannerin which the warning lamp is attached and secured to the vertical post.

FIG. 3 is a side profile view of the invention with the auxiliarywarning lamp illustrated by solid lines in the lowered position, asshown in FIG. 1, and with the extended position illustrated in phantomlines.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a removably attachablevehicle warning lamp assembly 100 which may be connected to a standardtrailer hitch receptacle (not shown) of the type utilized onautomobiles, sport utility vehicles and light trucks. A horizontallyextending hitch insert portion 20 is formed of a size and configurationfor insertion into such a standard trailer hitch, and includes anaperture 21 formed therein through which a standard trailer hitch pincan be inserted to attach the warning lamp assembly 100 to the vehicle.A hook 60 is secured to the horizontally extending hitch insert portion20, to assist in applying an extricating force if the vehicle to whichthe lamp assembly 100 is attached should become stuck. A standardelectrical coupling 30 is connected to a warning lamp 50 so that thewarning lamp 50 may be connected to the 12 volt power supply of thevehicle upon which the warning lamp is mounted. The warning lamp 50 ispreferably a standard 360° amber warning lamp, available throughautomotive supply stores, for flashing an amber light of the typecommonly used on service vehicles, such as tow trucks or other suchcommercial vehicles, to provide a 360° visibility warning.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the lamp 50 includes a plurality of magnets 52secured to the lamp base for securing the lamp to a steel surface. Asshown in FIG. 2, the distal end of the upper portion 44 of a verticalpost 40 has secured thereto a steel flange 42 to which the lamp 50 ismagnetically attached. A pair of securing pins 45 are secured to theflange 42 and extend vertically upward therefrom to engage apertures 55formed in the base of the lamp 50 for securing and maintaining the lamp50 in a predetermined orientation relative to the vertical post 40.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the vertical post 40 is formed intwo sections, the upper portion 44 which extends over and about a lowerportion 46 so that the upper portion 44 may be telescoped to be raisedand/or lowered relative to the lower portion 46 to vary the overallheight, or vertical extension, of the vertical post 40. To this end, theupper portion 44 and the lower portion 46 each have a pair of apertures48 formed therein spaced a predetermined distance apart. While two pairsof apertures 48 are illustrated in the preferred embodiment, it is to beunderstood that a greater or lesser number of apertures 48 could be useddepending upon the degree of telescoping adjustability between the twosections 44 and 46 which is desired.

To secure the two sections 44 and 46 in the desired vertical position, apin 49 a and securing clip 49 b are provided which are insertablethrough the apertures 48 for securing the two portions 44 and 46 in thedesired relationship to fix the vertical height of the post 40. In thismanner, when the lamp 50 is to be used for maximum visibility, see FIG.3, the upper section 44 is elevated to its uppermost position andsecured to the lower section 46 through the pin and aperture connection48 and 49. Such increased vertical positioning will enhance thevisibility of the lamp 50 when the vehicle is in operation.

Thereafter, when it is desired to move the vehicle into, for example, agarage, the upper section 44 can be lowered to its lowermost positionrelative to the lower section 46, for example, as shown in FIG. 1,beneath the roof line of the vehicle, so that there is no increase inheight which might require a fixed post to be removed from the vehiclefor parking the vehicle in a shelter such as a parking garage.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As was disclosed, one of the intended uses for this vehicle warning lampassembly 100 is for attachment to vehicles used as snow plows, forexample, pickup trucks, which employ a pusher blade on the front of thevehicle for removing snow from driveways. Such vehicles frequently arerequired to move in and out of driveway and an adjacent roadway.Positioning of the auxiliary lamp 50 at its uppermost position willextend the lamp 50 above the roof line of the plow and above the levelof the snow which becomes piled adjacent to the drive and the roadway.In this manner the vehicle visibility is increased, especially when thevehicle is driven in reverse and is moving in a position transverse tothe roadway during the plowing operations. Accordingly, vehiclestraveling on the roadway will see the flashing yellow warning light asthe snowplow operates, even when the adjacent drifts and plowing residueare of a height which would be above the vehicle headlamps, taillamps,and side marker lights.

In addition, the hook 60 carried by the horizontal hitch engagingportion 20, provides a ready means for extricating the vehicle. A chain,cable or such pulling device can be readily attached to the hook 20 anda force applied thereto which through the coupling to the vehicle hitch,will enable the vehicle to be pulled free from the snow or whatevermaterial in which it has become stuck. In this manner the auxiliaryvehicle lamp 100 functions not only as an effective warning lamp whichenhances the vehicle visibility during operation, and which can belowered to facilitate parking of the vehicle in covered shelters, butcan also be utilized to extricate the vehicle in the event that itbecomes stuck during work operation.

This invention has been described in the specification and illustratedin the drawings with reference to a preferred embodiment, the structureof which has been disclosed herein. However, it will also be understoodby those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains thatvarious changes or modifications may be made and equivalents may besubstituted for elements of the invention without departing from thescope of the claims. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not belimited to the particular embodiment disclosed in the specification andshown in the drawings as the best mode presently known by the inventorsfor carrying out this invention, nor confined to the details set forthin the preferred embodiment, but that the invention shall include allembodiments, modifications and changes as may come within the scope ofthe following claims:

What is claimed is:
 1. A vertically adjustable vehicle warning lampassembly for removable attachment to a vehicle and including apparatusthrough which an extricating force may be applied to the vehicle towhich the vertically adjustable vehicle warning lamp assembly isattached, comprising: a vertically extending post for removableattachment to a vehicle, said vertically extending post having an upperportion and a lower portion; said upper portion and said lower portionof said vertically extending post movable relative to each other to varythe vertical height of said vertically extending post; a warning lampcarried at the distal end of said upper portion of said verticallyextending post for emitting a warning signal of the presence of avehicle to which said vertically extending post is attached; saidvertically extending post having a vehicle coupling portion spaced belowsaid distal end and extending horizontal to said vertically extendingpost adapted to be received in and connected to a trailer hitchcoupling; said horizontally extending vehicle coupling portion includingan aperture formed therein for receiving a connecting pin therethroughwhen said vehicle coupling portion is inserted into a trailer hitchcoupling for connecting the vehicle warning lamp assembly to a vehicle;and a hook operatively connected to said vertically extending postthrough which an extricating force may be applied to the vehicle whensaid horizontally extending vehicle coupling portion is coupled to avehicle.
 2. The vehicle warning lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein saidupper portion of said vertically extending post extends over at leastpart of said lower portion of said vertically extending post fortelescoping movement of said upper and lower portions relative to eachother for defining the vertical height of said vertically extendingpost.
 3. The vehicle warning lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein saidwarning lamp is visible 360° about the distal end of said verticallyextending post.
 4. The vehicle warning lamp assembly of claim 1 whereinsaid warning lamp is magnetically connected to the distal end of saidvertically extending post.
 5. The vehicle warning lamp assembly of claim1 wherein said distal end of said vertically extending post includes aplurality of securing pins, and said warning lamp includes a pluralityof securing pins receiving apertures such that upon said securing pinsengaging said securing pin apertures, said warning lamp will be securedin a desired position at the distal end of said vertically extendingpost.
 6. The vehicle warning lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein said hookoperatively connected to said vertically extending post is carried bysaid horizontally extending vehicle coupling portion.
 7. The vehiclewarning lamp assembly of claim 6 wherein said hook carried by saidhorizontally extending vehicle coupling portion is connected to alowermost surface thereof.